US rejects the sanctions that Europe imposed on Israeli officials

The government of United States strongly condemned the decision of five countries (United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia) to impose sanctions on two acting members of the Israeli cabinet: Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

The U.S. administration considers that these sanctions do not contribute to the U.S.-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, secure the release of all hostages, and end the conflict in Gaza.

The initial statement was made by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, and was later reiterated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who issued an official statement from his office in similar terms.

Rubio emphasized that the sanctions are not only counterproductive to the peace process, but also send the wrong message by establishing an apparent equivalence between the government of Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas.

Rubio stated: "We reject any notion of equivalence: Hamas is a terrorist organization that has committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage, and deprives the population of Gaza of living in peace. We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is. The United States urges that the sanctions be reversed and reiterates its unconditional support for Israel."

Although the U.S. statement focuses mainly on the situation in Gaza, the sanctioning countries justified their decision based on the alleged actions of the Israeli ministers in the occupied West Bank. 

The sanctioning countries indicated that both Smotrich and Ben Gvir have "incited violence" and adopted policies that, according to them, undermine the rule of law and human rights in the occupied territories. The measures include financial and mobility restrictions for both ministers, in an attempt to pressure Israel to control settler violence and protect the Palestinian population.

Washington's response reflects its traditional position of strong support for the Israeli government, particularly in the context of the current conflict with Hamas, a terrorist organization that has caused fear in the region. 

These statements come at a critical moment, when both Israel and Hamas have intensified their military actions, while diplomatic efforts by the United States and other powers to achieve a ceasefire continue to seek stability in the region.

Although there have recently been significant advances in negotiations, such as prisoner of war exchanges, a lasting agreement to end the conflict has not been reached.